The Boldness of a Queen
by Jesus' girl 4ever
Summary: Dame Faith and King Edmund got lost... Hannah worries, Peter tries to calm her down, and Faith doesn't panic


**The Boldness of a Queen**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

Hannah twirled a lock of her hair around and around her finger. She looked down at the book in her lap and read the page it was open to the fifth time, only to toss it away when she realized that she still didn't know what it said. Peter was watching her with a concerned expression. "They'll be fine, Han."

"They were supposed to be back three days ago! Hunting trips aren't delayed like this!"

"Faith'll take care of Ed, and Ed will take care of Faith."

"You sure?" she asked.

Before he could answer, six-year-old Mary and three-year-old Martha came into the room. Martha said something in the girls' private language, which Hannah had a sneaking suspicion was just Martha's baby talk. Mary had just found a way to interpret. The girls were as close as twins, even if they weren't even sisters. "What was that, Martha?"

"She asked when Uncle Edmund and Aunt Faith will be back."

"Ah." Hannah smiled at her daughter as she lifted her niece into her lap. "Well, Martha, I don't know for certain when they'll be back, but I'm sure it'll be soon."

"Mama, they're so late. Do you think they're alright?"

"I'm going to tell you girls a story."

"Yay! Thowy!" Martha shouted.

"Shh! Do you wanna wake the babies?" Mary reprimanded.

"Thowwy," Martha whispered.

"That's all right. Now, for the story." Mary crowded closer to her and Martha leaned against her shoulder. "This took place long ago, before you two were born."

"Were you born?" Mary interrupted to ask.

"Mary, dear, it's not polite to interrupt," Peter gently scolded.

"Sorry, Mama."

"Forgiven. And, yes, I was born. Once upon a time, there was a land that was locked in eternal winter. Aslan brought seven children from another world to rescue it. Four of them were siblings. Can either of you tell me their names?"

"Petah, Thuthan, Edmund, and Wuthy!" Martha exclaimed.

"Very good, Martha. The other three were cousins. Do you remember their names?"

"Annah, Faifh, and Rothe!"

"Right. Now, Aslan died on the Stone Table and came back to life, defeating the White Witch once and for all! Then He crowned the siblings and knighted the cousins before returning to His country. And so they had a lot of adventures, saving each other's lives and such things. Usually it was the knights saving the kings and queens, but occasionally it was the other way around." Hannah smiled at her husband. "See, I will admit it."

"Rarely," he teased.

"Anyway, one of those times, Dame Faith and King Edmund got lost..."

* * *

"Faith, do you know where we are?"

Faith froze and turned to face Edmund. "I thought you knew!"

"I'm lost as I could be."

"Oh, no. I am too."

Edmund sat down on the ground. Faith glanced at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sit here until Hannah and Peter realize we're missing and come looking for us."

"That could be days," she pointed out as she sat next to him.

"True. Let's at least wait for nightfall. Maybe the stars will help."

"All right." They sat in silence for several minutes before Faith hesitantly said, "Ed?"

"Yeah, Faith?"

"I'm getting hungry."

He groaned. "You and your stomach."

"Well, aren't you?"

"Um, uh, yes?"

"See? I just said it first."

"Well, all right, I guess I would have said it if you hadn't. But the fact that you're right doesn't help us get food."

She sighed. "Do we need to start moving again?"

"No, I don't quite thi-"

She placed a hand on his arm. "Hush!"

That time they both heard what she had: rustling behind them, which meant movement. "Get up and move back," she hissed.

He obeyed. She also rose and backed up, leaving herself between Edmund and the noise. A rabbit jumped out of the bushes. Edmund smirked. "That's your enemy? I think Hannah needs to-"

"Would you be quiet!" she snapped. He fell silent, knowing that she wouldn't have snapped without good reason. Faith's hazel eyes scanned the area alertly. Suddenly, a score and five men charged them from the trees. "Run," she whispered.

"No. I won't leave a girl in danger."

"Run, you dummy! You're no good to Narnia dead!"

"Neither are you!" he hissed.

"Oh, fine. But you had better tell Peter it's not my fault."

"Promise."

Faith glanced over her shoulder as she drew her sword. Edmund was completely weaponless. She sighed and parried, stabbing him in the stomach. The knight grabbed his sword and flung it over her shoulder. "Catch, Ed!" she called. His grunt told her that he had. Five minutes and seven men later, a muffled gasp sounded behind her. "Unless you drop that sword, your little king here dies."

She slowly turned to see a brute holding a dagger to Ed's throat. She carefully lowered her sword to the ground. The thugs grabbed her arms. Edmund gave her a look that read, _I'm sorry_. She smiled back. The men dragged them away.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Faith," Edmund whispered again later, after the men had hauled them to their camp and tied them to trees before going to sit by the fire, laugh, and drink.

"Not your fault. It was my idea for us to try to escape from the Cair." She sniffed.

"It was your idea, but I went along with it. I shouldn't have abandoned my common sense like that."

"Neither of us should have." They fell silent for a few minutes before she leaned her head back and murmured, "Hannah and Peter are going to kill me."

"They'll certainly be angry with us both."

"Not to mention Orieus and Susan."

"Yeah." After a few more minutes of silence, she started squirming. He glanced at her curiously. "What is wrong with you?"

She bit her lip. "I- just- might- still- have- Yes!"

"What do you still have?"

"A dagger. Are they drunk yet?"

"Um, not quite, but I think they're drunk enough."

"Good." After several painstaking moments, she gasped softly. "Finally!"

"Are you free?"

"Yes. Here, let me cut you loose." He was very still as her dagger sliced the ropes that bound him. "There. Now, wait just a minute."

"Where are you going?"

"To get my sword."

"Are you crazy?"

"Probably." Faith slowly crept toward where they had dropped her sword. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't go after it, but it had been given to her by Father Christmas, and she wasn't about to leave it. With a few careful glances at the men, she examined the pile and found it. Slowly and silently, she pulled it free. Running back to where she had left Edmund, she said, "I've got it. Let's go." The two of them ran through the woods and finally, Cair Paravel came into sight.

* * *

"Tho, Mommy thaved Daddy?" Martha asked.

"Yes, she did."

"And did you all get mad at them?" Mary added.

"Yes, we did. I berated Faith for nearly an hour, and then Rose took over. But the important thing is that they got back home safely."

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Peter stood and opened it. "Thank Aslan!"

Hannah leapt to her feet. "Is it them?"

Faith appeared in the doorway, a cheeky grin on her face. "Miss me?"

"Come here, you rascal!" Hannah threw her arms around her cousin. "If you ever, ever, ever do that again, I will-!"

Faith just laughed. She looked down at a pull on her pants. "Mama!"

She swung Martha into the air. "Hey there, kiddo. Did you miss me?"

"Yeah."

"Hi, Aunt Faith. Uncle Ed," Mary said before she and her parents left the room.

"Mama, did you weawwy get you and Daddy captud by bad men?"

"Did Aunt Hannah tell you that story?"

"Yeth, and the told the west, too."

"Good," the queen replied, tickling her daughter.

"Mommy, thop!"

Faith smiled at Edmund as he joined her and stole Martha from her. "Aslan has blessed us, hasn't He, Ed?"

"Yes, my love. He has indeed."

_A/N: Martha baby-talk translations:  
Thowy: Story  
Thowwy: Sorry  
Petah, Thuthan, Edmund, and Wuthy: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy  
Annah, Faife, and Rothe: Hannah, Faith, and Rose  
Tho, Mommy thaved Daddy: So, Mommy saved Daddy  
Mama, did you weawwy get you and Daddy captud by bad men: Mama, did you really get you and Daddy captured by bad men  
Yeth, and the told the west, too: Yes, and she told the rest, too.  
Thop: Stop_


End file.
